The Fluff-ful Eight
by WolFang1011
Summary: My submissions for GrayZa Week 2017. Edited by AmyNChan. Cover image by tumblr user icedarmour.
1. Chapter 1

**Koi no Yokan**

All of his life, Gray had struggled against the notion of Fate. Or Destiny. Or any crap like that. Like Keanu Reeves in _The Matrix_. _I still needta watch John Wick 2. Dammit._

Loke couldn't shut up about it. Apparently the sequel had outdone the original. He had his doubts, though. The first one had been really good, but sequels tended to not live up to the originals. Not all the time anyway.

Gray loosened his tie and yawned. Big mistake. As if by Divine Intervention, the train came to a lurching halt right at that moment. Gulping down the yawn, he immediately reached up and grabbed the overhead handle to stop himself from slamming into other people in the already crowded train.

But it didn't stop someone else from crashing into him.

The evening rush hour was always worse than the morning. On their way to work, people smelled so nice and fresh. On their way back, they smelled of defeat and sweat and disappointment. Nobody had a single damn to give anymore, so Gray expected people to bump into him.

He honestly never expected a cute redhead to bump into him.

 _Is this the gods' way of making it up to me after I attended an all-boy's highschool?_

The woman placed both of her palms on his chest to stop herself from hugging him. With one hand holding the handle and the other guarding his wallet, Gray had no means to push her away or even stabilise her. Not that she needed it, of course. No sooner had the train halted than she'd straightened with a muttered apology. She brushed away the few stray strands of crimson hair which had come loose from her ponytail and tucked them behind her ear.

She wore a business suit, the top two buttons of her white dress shirt now open. Her bangs were clipped to the right side of her head, and brown eyes now downcast behind her glasses.

Gray smiled. He _knew_ he was about to say something very weird. The stars had aligned to make him bump into someone who _wasn't_ a hairy, overweight man with a dandruff problem. No way in hell could his poor social skills _not_ muck this up.

"I see you just fell for me."

She looked up. The doors of the train closed and it started moving again. Gray gulped. With the doors, his opportunity of hightailing it had also just closed.

 _I should not be allowed to talk to people._

"I beg your pardon, but I fell _on_ you. There is a difference."

There was an edge of sarcasm to her voice, but she mostly just sounded tired. Gray was happy that she hadn't kneed him in the nuts. Anything he got was better than what he'd anticipated.

"Right. Of course. Sorry," he said quickly and turned towards the window. _What was I thinking about again? I lost my train of thought on a train. Ahh, I crack myself up._

He watched the lights flash by outside as evening settled over the city. The voice-lady announced the next stop and he sighed. His stop was still a long way off. About a half hour more of dangling. Just what he needed.

"Thank you, though."

 _Wait, what?_ He blinked down at the redhead, who offered a small smile. "For holding me. Thank you."

"I, uh, I didn't-"

"I know. But you were more gracious than the others."

 _You say that like you're a connoisseur of bumping into people or something._

"Yes, well, neither do people greet each other with lame puns."

"Yet you did."

"What can I say?" Gray shrugged nonchalantly. "I felt something was missing in my life, so I took a course in weirdness after highschool."

That made her grin. "It seems to have served you well."

He couldn't help his chuckle. "You're the first one to say that to me, Miss."

"Aren't you lucky, then?"

"Very. I would shuffle my feet like a country bumpkin, but as you can see, I'm a bit short on space at the moment."

Bringing up a hand to cover her mouth, she laughed. Gray liked the sound of that. It was nice. Soft and sonorous. Like church bells ringing on a lazy summer afternoon. _Wait, no, too poetic_.

The train-voice announced the oncoming station and Gray let go of the handle. "You hold it."

She looked hesitant. "Are you sure?"

"Sure I'm sure. I'm used to it."

And he was. When the train slowed down, Gray leant forward on the balls of his feet, against the momentum, and lowered himself down on his heels when the train stopped. The woman had taken his hanging handle with a grateful smile.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

As people disembarked, he looked around for empty seats but frowned upon not finding any. The train started again and he leant back against the momentum this time. _Like a pro, Fullbuster. Full points._

"I'm Erza, by the way. Erza Scarlet." She must've seen his grin, because she rolled her eyes. "Yes, like my hair."

Still smiling, he said, "Gray Fullbuster. Gray... like my life, I guess."

The corners of her lips twitched, but she fought back the smile. "Fullbuster? That's... odd."

"I know. Evidently, when I get busted, it's always in full. No half-assing." He sighed dramatically. "Such is my lamentable legacy."

"But hey, if you get busted a lot, you cannot say your life is gray."

"Ah, but I don't. I _always_ get away with it. I'm just that good." He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and put in his breast pocket. "But I'm thinking I might start a law firm or a private investation agency."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Scarlet and Gray, Discreet Investigations. I can see it now. It'd be pretty colourful."

"Heh. Thank you for putting me first."

"I'm a gentleman at heart, you know."

"Oh? I see chivalry is not as dead as I thought."

He smiled at that. "You know the chivalric code started out as a treatise on how to kill people, right?"

"Do you mean how the chivalry is derived from the Old French _chevalerie_ horse-soldiery and was translated as cavalry in later times?" She tilted her head and smiled brightly. "Why no, Gray, I did not know that."

Gray nodded, impressed. "Well, ya know what they say. Right action is better than knowledge; but in order to do what is right, we must _know_ what is right."

Her eyes sparkled as he said it. "Would that I had twelve clerks so learned in all wisdom and so perfectly trained as is Gray Fullbuster."

He laughed aloud. "The Maker of heaven and earth has not many like to that man and do you expect to have twelve?"

"Why Gray," she said with a smirk, "I do believe you just became my new favourite person."

"What, I can just become your favourite person by quoting some Charlemagne?" He tutted. "You have low standards, Erza."

They went back and forth like that for a time, their topics ranging from Beowulf ("Talk about plot armour, huh?"), to the Ramayana ("He knew how to uphold what was right, King Rama."), to the Trojan War ("Pshh. Helen. What a bitch."), to Troy ("It is unfortunate how Heinrich Schliemann destroyed what he was looking for. Imagine excavating Troy with today's technology!"), to the German school of fencing ("Liechtenauer's still pretty easy, though.") and finally to medieval Italian armour.

"I rather like it," Erza stated.

"Better than the German version?"

"Gothic armour is beautiful, but there is just something about the asymmetrical pauldrons of Italian armour that just speaks to me."

"Fair enough." Gray listened to the train-lady call out the name of his approaching stop. He smiled. "Well, that's my stop coming up."

Erza nodded. "I see. It was good talking to you, Gray."

"Likewise." He felt the train starting to slow down. "Listen, I know this is random and weird, but could I ask for your number? It's not every day that I meet someone who speaks my language."

She smiled mischievously. "Are you lowering your standards, Gray?"

"Hey, I have no dignity."

"I leave it to Fate. If we are meant to meet again, we shall." The train stopped. "Go. You'll miss your stop."

Gray didn't believe in Fate. Or Destiny. Or any of that crap. Like Aaron Eckhart in _The Dark Knight_. He liked to make his own luck.

He remembered the letter he'd received from Ultear that very morning from Japan saying that she'd met some guy with a tattoo on his face and they'd been going out. Said that she'd felt something hit her in the feels when they'd first met. Said it was what J. K. Rowling felt when she'd first conceptualised Harry Potter on that damn train ride.

 _It's this incredibly elated feeling you get when you've just met someone with whom you might eventually fall in love with_ , she'd written. _The Japanese have a phrase for that, you know. Koi no Yokan. Not exactly Fate or Destiny. But Inevitability, I suppose. Hitsuzen, if you remember Cardcaptor Sakura._

That damn cousin of his would never let him live down the fact that he'd watched – and enjoyed – what was essentially a _girl's_ show.

Gray didn't claim to understand all that Japanese jiggery-pokery, but he thought that it was what he felt as he stared at the smiling redhead before him. As if he'd met someone wonderful and they were about to embark on some wondrous affair. A kind of excitement and light-headedness that he couldn't quite decipher.

While he didn't believe in the Fate crap, this _Koi no Yokan_ business didn't sound all that bad.

So Gray smiled back at Erza as the doors closed and the train lurched forward.

"Y'know what," he said and brought out his phone. "It's not my stop after all. Now, how about that number?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Travel**

"You were right, Gray," Erza said as she tucked herself into a secure spot and gazed outwards. "This is... surreal."

Gray only smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I get it right sometimes. I'm just talented like that."

Before them, Italy lay sprawled out towards the south. Behind them lay Switzerland, to the north. The view from about four and a half thousand meters above sea level made either country look flat as a table. The snowy peaks of Monte Rosa, Dent Blanche and Dom punctuated the sky in the distance.

Gray sighed deeply, watching his breath crystallise. He rubbed her arm over her down jacket. "You okay? You need some brandy?"

She shook her head and spreading out her hands, stretching. "No. I feel like the King of the World!"

Laughing, he put his rucksack down beside him and knelt down to bring out the brandy regardless. Summiting the Matterhorn was no mean feat, and he'd come prepared. _Besides, it'll help to get pumped before the descent._

Gray loved mountains. He'd climbed a fair few. Erza loved history. Anything to do with war, especially in the ancient or medieval worlds, and she'd be all over it.

So to commemorate five years of being together, they'd decided go backpacking through Europe. Specifically, walk in Hannibal Barca's footsteps as he crossed the Alps on his campaign to conquer Rome. They'd started in Barcelona – apparently named so after Hamilcar Barca, Hannibal's father – and planned to end in Rome. When it came time to cross the Alps, however, Gray had wanted Erza to experience the mountains firsthand. What better way than to climb the most recognisable peak in Europe?

Adventurous as she was, Erza had not refused. Though Gray knew that she wanted to feel like Hannibal. _Still a dork at heart. Too adorable! God damn it_. _My heart! I can't! Kill me. Kill me now!_

So he'd trained her himself for four days before the actual climb. Her insane skills of acclimatising had come in very handy. At the end of it all, she'd become a natural. Gray had never been prouder.

It was one of the many reasons why he loved her. Erza could own any situation, with or without help. That kind of determination and drive and focus was rare. Rarer still for that same person to have as much kindness and warmth as she did.

Gray looked at her, grinning broadly as she looked down at Italy like a general on a conquest. She wouldn't be out of place at Hannibal's side, he thought. She wouldn't be out of place anywhere.

He smiled to himself as he sipped the brandy, felt it warm up the very tips of his numb fingertips.

 _Been five years and I_ still _think I don't deserve her. Stop fanboying, you loser!_

"Gray?"

"Hn?"

"How many times did you say you've summited Matterhorn before?"

"Four."

"Why do you keep coming back?"

"Good question." He put the flask back inside his pack and stood. He stretched his back and turned to smile at her. She looked at him curiously, waiting for an answer. "People consider time to be a great teacher, and they're right too. But time eventually kills off all of its pupils. Mountains are great teachers also, and better still, because sometimes, they let the odd star pupil live."

She scrunched up her face. "And what exactly would you say that you have learnt by not dying?"

Gray took off his sunglasses and hung them in the front of his down jacket. _Good question_.

"When you reach an impossible ledge or peak, you gain a new perspective, you see the world differently," he replied. "You change too. If you sit with your legs dangling over the biggest drop in the world, with the wind streaming your hair behind you and your shadow falling so far that it might never hit the ground... you notice new things. Climb a mountain, see the world from its highest point, and a new you will climb down to a world of subtle differences the next day."

"Wow." She sounded genuinely impressed. "You're a poet, Gray. And you didn't even know it."

He snorted. "Honestly, this view?" He spread his arms wide."This is worth it. Up here, the air's like champagne. Up here, there are no grey areas. As you're hanging on with eight fingers, then six, then five and then four and you know that if you slip, you'll be a smattering of guts smeared on some rock, it taps into your deepest instincts. Everything becomes black and white. Up here, there are no regrets. No good, no bad. Only you. Only me. Just people discovering themselves. That's why I keep coming back." He looked at her then. "This is me at my most primal, Erza. And I wanted to share that with you."

She shook her head and placed a gloved hand on his cheek. "Oh, Gray," she muttered affectionately. He took her hand and kissed her knuckles.

"That isn't the only thing I wanted to share with you, though," he said quietly and sighed. "You know I love you, right?"

She stared at him. "If you made me climb a mountain to tell me that you're breaking up with me, I shall be _very_ annoyed."

"What? No! Why would you even say that? Is _that_ the kinda expectations you have of me?"

"Well, can you blame me? You were all deep sighs and ominous pauses! I got anxious!"

Gray rolled his eyes. "I was on a roll, y'know? You ruined my roll. I was saying all nice, good things like a boss and up pops your anxiety."

"Fine, fine. What else did you have up your sleeve, O Gray the Great?"

"...you'll never stop calling me that, will you?"

"Literally never."

Gray sighed again. It was the most times he'd ever sighed on the Matterhorn.

"What I wanted to say is that I love you. I love you more than I can ever hope to put into words. So I guess there's only one thing I can do to really show you." Holding her hand, Gray lowered himself onto a knee. "Erza?"

He got a whimper in response. "Oh my god."

"I, uh, I can't find the ring."

Unimpressed this time. "Oh. My. God."

He fumbled in his pockets and sighed in relief when he found it. "Gimme a break. It's hard with these gloves, okay?"

"Sure, sure. Take your time."

The banter helped steady his nerves, so when he looked back up at her and found her smiling, he smiled back and held up the ring.

He'd spent an unholy amount of time with Ultear searching for the perfect ring, but he'd found it. It took the form of a platinum band with a round ruby in the centre. After he saw that, there was no point in looking for anything else. It had Erza Scarlet written all over it.

As it shone in the early morning light, and as he saw it light up her face and make her cover her mouth, he knew he'd made the right choice.

"Erza Scarlet," he said slowly. "I'm going to disappoint you a lot, disagree with you more and probably get on your nerves a fair few times. I'm an idiot, I can't help it." He shrugged and heard her mutter 'Of course.' "But at the end of the day, you make me happier than I ever thought I could be." He gulped. "And if you let me, I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you feel the same way."

She said nothing, but she grinned wider than she did whenever she saw a slice of strawberry cake. _I guess I musta done something right, then._

"That being said, will you marry me?"

"Umm..."

He stared blankly at her. "Umm? Really? Umm? I nearly numb my knee on this dumbass piece of rock and snow and all I get is umm?"

"I need time to think! This is a big decision!"

Glaring, Gray rose to his feet. "Well then. You think. Imma keep the ring until th – oof!"

He liked hugs. He really did. Especially Erza hugs. But forceful Erza hugs atop a high mountain were risky more than they were loving. Gray dug his crampons into the snow as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Of course I'll marry you, you doof," she giggled into his chest. "You're a dork, you know that?"

Smiling, he sighed in resigned relief. "Least I'm a romantic dork. I mean look at the view."

"Mhmm." She looked up at him. "I am."

 _God damn it_. Altitude thickened the blood, making circulation difficult. Yet his blood had no problem rushing to his cheeks. He looked off towards Switzerland, blushing a deep crimson. "You play unfair."

Erza laughed, the sound reverberating against his chest. It stirred something deep inside him, that laugh. _Good God, I'm going to marry her. She said yes._ He pulled her closer. _This is real. Holy jumping fucking shitballs._

"Hey, Gray?"

That brought him out of his trance. "Yeah?"

"Give me the damn ring or I'll hurt you."


	3. Chapter 3

**Eternal**

"Your dad's fuckin' scary," Gray whispered to Erza.

"Gray, language," Erza whispered back. "And he's not _that_ scary."

"You kiddin'? Dude looks like he stepped out of a Dracula movie. Like he'll return to his stereotypical evil castle lair after I leave."

She nudged him in the ribs with her elbow and Gray chuckled quietly, returning his focus to wiping the plates Erza handed him. He didn't tell her how the man looked like he'd be willing to sacrifice virgins to Satan. That would've made her break a plate on his head and he didn't want that.

Their relationship had progressed well. Well enough for him to have to endure the greatest of teen nightmares: meeting the girl's parents.

Of course, meeting Erza's parents was on a different level altogether. Gray had almost wanted to fake diarrhoea and stay at home. But then she'd have arrived at his place with glycerine suppositories. He imagined Erza giving him a bare-bottom spanking for faking being sick and grimaced. She'd do it too!

 _With parents like that, no wonder she turned out so hardcore. Jeez._

Not that he was judgemental or anything, but since they were basically judging him, Gray didn't see why he couldn't silently judge them in return. It was only fair.

They weren't bad, if he was honest. He'd known beforehand that they were both college lecturers – she of chemistry and he of history. So Gray had already been intimidated by their combined intelligence. But it had turned out better than he'd expected. Erza's father was the quiet sort, only enquiring after his academics. Her mom had been more animated, asking about his interests and aspirations.

Nobody had randomly brought out a machete and asked what his intentions for Erza were. Nobody had told him that he wasn't worthy and shouldn't get any ideas about marriage. Nobody had brought up teen pregnancies. _Unlike my old man. Goddammit, Dad._

"All things considered, I think it went well," Erza commented quietly. Gray looked at her.

"Really? You think so?" He hated how hopeful he sounded.

"I think so." She gave him a once-over. "Your shirt is still tucked. You haven't attempted to strip. Not once have you cursed, though you came close twice."

"Yeah. Kinda hard to forget after being kicked under the table that hard. I might need crutches afterwards, you know? You sure you don't wanna try out for the football team?"

"Please." She rolled her eyes. "I'd outperform you any day."

"Hah! Yeah, right."

"You only have one goal and three assists to your name from the last game. Not exactly hard to beat."

"Hey!" Gray placed his hands on his hips and turned towards her, affronted. "That's only because I injured my ankle, okay? Otherwise, I'd have been top scorer!"

"Natsu got _two_ goals."

"Both were off-sides! The referee was night-blind!"

"The team won. Isn't that more important?"

"That guy doesn't deserve to be on the team," Gray muttered under his breath as he aggressively rubbed the washcloth against the last plate. "Damn pink-haired freak stealing my thunder I'll show him-"

He stopped mid-tirade when he felt something soft and moist on his cheek. Almost like the sting of a bee without the actual sting, but just as soft and tender _. Why am I comparing this to that? Since when am I this weird? What happened to me? Stop thinking! Concentrate on her! Don't drop the plate, don't drop the plate._

Still recovering from the sudden assault on his cheek, Gray turned towards his smiling girlfriend, eyes wide.

"Wha-wha-wha-wh-"

"It was a kiss, Gray."

"Wha-"

"A kiss is the anatomical juxtaposition of two _orbicularis oris_ muscles in a state of contraction." Erza tilted her head. "Though I suppose your _orbicularis oris_ muscles weren't involved, were they?"

"Wha-"

"Lips, Gray."

"Oh." With shaky hands, he somehow managed to place the plate in its designated place. "But I thought you said we shouldn't do anything?"

"I said _you_ shouldn't do anything too forward. I said _nothing_ about me."

"That's not fair..."

"It's _my_ house. _My_ parents. _My_ rules."

"You're the worst."

"What does that make _you_ , then?" she challenged.

 _Aha! An opening!_

Gray took booth of her hands in his and brushed his thumbs over her knuckles. "That makes me absolutely and hopelessly in love with you."

He never thought anybody could go from haughty to a blushing mess in a fraction of a second, but Erza Belserion had just shown him that it was doable. He smiled at her.

"Hey, look," he said quietly, swinging their arms to-and-fro. "We've known each other for twelve years. I know it's only been six months, and I know we're only nineteen, but I know how I feel, okay?" He sighed. "Your parents will probably have reservations and they're entitled to those. I'm not some sorta boy wonder. All I'm saying is that no matter how long it takes, when the time comes, I want to spend my life with you."

Erza ducked her head. "Don't jinx us, Gray."

"I'm not. I'm just stating my intentions," he said as emphatically as he could. She looked up at that, a bit surprised, her brown eyes wide. "I know nobody asked, but I just want to put it out there. I'm serious about us."

"But-"

He pressed his forehead against hers. "Yes, yes. It's gonna be hard. An uphill battle. Not smooth all the time. I know. I've seen rom-coms. Thanks to you." She snorted. "But I want that with you, you know? I want the good times, and I want the bad times. Because I know I'll have you to share the good times with and that you'll have my back when things get bad."

"Only if you'll have mine."

"Always, Erza." Gray pressed his lips to her forehead. "Always."

Even though her face was redder than he'd ever seen, he had to give her credit. Erza knew how to keep her head.

"Then I give you my word too," she whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on the tips of her toes. "I want to be with you, too."

He hummed as he coiled his arms around her waist and met her lips halfway.

It was a quick, gentle kiss. They lingered after parting, grinning goofily at each other.

"So, are we married now?"

"You won't land me that easily, woman."

"Drat."

Even as he laughed, even as he knew that nothing in this world was truly eternal, Gray knew what he _wanted_ to be eternal. Nothing was more important than her smile, and he'd do whatever he could to preserve that.

 _If that means sucking up to the scary odd-parents, then so be it._

* * *

Irene Belserion was severely unimpressed. "Spying on children at your age? Really?"

Her husband thumped the wall pathetically, not pausing his peeping. "This is just too adorable, Irene! You have to see this!"

How a grown man could actually _gush_ , she would never know.


	4. Chapter 4

**Nightmare**

The sobs were loud enough to wake him up. Either that or he'd grown cautious in his sleep. It didn't happen often. Just often enough.

Propping himself up on his elbow, Gray looked down at her. She lay on her side, facing him, fists curled near her mouth. The sobs shook her shoulders and she was trying to burrow her head into her pillow. He sighed deeply.

It broke his heart a little, every time this happened. Erza Scarlet was among the strongest people he knew. While he knew that it wasn't his place to protect her – _she'd_ be the one protecting _him_ – he'd still resolved to never have Erza cry again. While he kept good on that, her dreams were something he had no control over.

There was precious little that could terrorise the Titania's subconscious. He had a good feeling as to what it could be and it made his frown deepen. Gray sighed again. He despised helplessness.

Wordlessly, he placed his palm on her forehead and then brushed his fingers through her hair gingerly. He found that it worked better than muttered words of reassurance.

Slowly, the sobs ceased. She gasped quietly before her breathing levelled out. Still propped up on his elbow, Gray lowered his cheek into his palm and smiled sadly as he stroked her hair.

There was beauty in sadness. He knew that. He just didn't like to see it if he could help it. Especially not when Erza was concerned. Erza Scarlet was at once a paragon and probably one of the most broken people he'd ever encountered. She helped as many people as she could, but she needed it as well.

"I know I don't have to take care of you like you're some sorta damsel in distress," he said softly. "You can flatten the mountain, scold the dragon into submission and save the princess all before your evening cake time." He paused and carefully thumbed away her tearstains. He didn't want to wake her. "I just wish... there was more I could do for you."

To his surprise, Erza grasped his hand and rubbed her cheek against his palm.

"You do enough," she whispered.

"Sorry, did I wake yo-"

"No. Don't apologise. I woke you." She sighed and kissed his palm. " _I_ should be apologising, but I just want to be a little selfish right now. Okay?"

He smiled. "That can be arranged. C'mere."

Gray spread out his arm and Erza placed her head on his bicep, nuzzling into his chest. He then wrapped his arm around her neck and returned to threading his fingers in her hair. He wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her snugly against him. It was the best he could do, form a cocoon for just the two of them.

Erza sighed and placed her hands on his chest. "I love you, you know that?"

"I know."

She buried her face in his chest. "I love you very, very much."

Gray kissed the top of her head. "I love you too, Erza. I wish I could put into words how much."

Tucking her head under his chin, Erza wrapped her arms around his neck. Gray had no way of making sure, but he felt her smile.

"You've always been there for me," she said, her grip tightening. "Always. I've always been able to fall back on you. No matter what happened. You never judged, you never complained. You were just... there. Always supportive." Another sigh. "So please never think you're not doing enough."

He gently rubbed her back but didn't say anything. The fact of the matter was that there were some things he'd never be able to help with. Some scars ran too deep. Some scars he didn't know how she got, and she never told him. He could guess, though, and it infuriated him that he could do fucking _nothing_ to help the one person that mattered more than anything.

Time and time again he'd been unable to help her on the field. Prevention was better than cure, so what good was being there for her _after_ everything had happened? For all he knew, things could have been different – _better_ – for her had he been there to at least lend support when it mattered.

He felt soft lips upon his throat. "Stop beating yourself up."

"I'm not-"

"Your jaw was clenched."

Gray sighed and buried his face in her hair. "I'm sorry."

"Whatever for?"

"For... stuff."

"Gray?"

He knew what he wanted to say, but didn't know _how_. But when she cupped his face and made him look down at her. When he saw the fear and worry in her eyes and her trembling bottom lip, he knew he had to say _something_. Otherwise she'd overthink herself sick and get no sleep at all.

So he lifted his hand to cover the one she had placed on his cheek. "I just feel that I've let you down more than actually help you." She opened her mouth to protest but he cut her off. "I know it's stupid, crying over spilt milk. It's the past and I can only run from it or learn from it. I know a thing or two about that running bit, just so you know." He gently pulled her hand down from his cheek and brought her knuckles to his lips, kissing each one. "But. Going forwards, I want to do better. Stand by you when shit hits the fan. I'm not completely useless."

"Oh, Gray."

"Honestly, I just don't want there to be any fresh causes for your tears." He pressed his forehead to hers. "Probably impossible, but I want to minimise it as much as I can."

"Gray..."

"Let me dream, dammit."

She actually laughed at that. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Oh, you know. Stuff."

Grinning, Gray kissed the tip of her nose, making her giggle. It was still the cutest thing he'd ever heard.

"D'you think you'll be able to sleep again?"

She nodded and snuggled into his chest. "Mhmm. Though, I have a question."

"Yeah?"

"What's the worst nightmare _you've_ ever had?"

He didn't answer.

"Gray?"

He cleared his throat.

"That bad?"

He sighed. "Bob and Natsu in bikinis, making out."

Erza shuddered. "That... wow."

"I thought I'd need therapy afterwards."

"What makes you think you don't?"

"Hey."


	5. Chapter 5

**Seasons**

Gray hated summers. Absolutely, positively hated them.

"It makes me feel like a melting snow-cone," he grumbled. "There's nothing good about summers."

Beside him, Erza cocked her head to the side. "At least you can get away with the stripping."

"...there's the one good thing about summer."

They sat under a big beach umbrella, Erza lying on a lounge chair looking pretty while he occupied another one beside her, fanning himself free of the sweat.

Ice mages didn't belong on beaches. And every summer brought with it a compulsory beach day. He didn't quite get the logic behind it. What good was risking heat stroke? It wasn't like the sun was anybody's third cousin. It wouldn't go easy on anybody.

Especially that pink-haired num-num head. He hoped the dolt got sunburnt. That'd teach him to play beach volleyball.

"Why don't you go join them?" Erza asked.

"Huh?"

"Do you want to play with them? You've been looking at them, so why not go join them?"

"I'm glaring at them. There's a difference."

She chuckled. "How about the water, then? Do you want to go surfing?"

He looked at her. "If you go surfing, the waves will take a day off."

"Who do you think I am? Chuck Norris?"

"Chuck Norris has got nothing on you."

She swatted at his arm and sat up. Stretched. Gray tried to look away. He was unsuccessful. "Shall we go for a swim, at least?"

Gray thought about it. "That doesn't sound so bad."

"Good." She smiled and rose to her feet, taking off the shirt she had draped over her shoulders. Gray didn't even try to look away this time.

There were goddesses. Then there was Erza Scarlet. In her special swimsuit, she looked... golden.

 _That was so bad, it was good._ Chuckling at his own cleverness, he also rose to his feet and stretched. It wasn't everyday Erza pulled out her special swimsuit. Not even for him. Only for the beach.

 _I guess that's one more thing in favour of summer._

"Gray?"

"What?"

"Put your pants back on."

"God damn it."

* * *

The autumn breeze was nice. He liked the autumn breeze. Well, he liked it when it didn't come and scatter all the leaves he'd painstakingly stacked up.

It was quite the pile, too. Not to brag, but his was _definitely_ the biggest. _Definitely bigger than Natsu's_. That thought gave him more comfort than he'd expected.

"I'm done," he said and leaned his rake against the tree. He looked up. "All yours."

"Cannonball!"

A streak of red. Leaves flying everywhere. Gray smirked to himself as Erza giggled, spread-eagled on the ground.

"This does not get old," she said.

"Apparently, you don't either."

"But it's fun!"

"I'm sure it is," he said as she stood up, picking out the leaves from her hair. "C'mere. Let me." She stood still while he raked his fingers through her hair. "You're way too reckless, you know that?"

"You're not exactly one to talk. Who thought last week that it'd be a good idea to freeze the bathroom floor and be a shower ballerina but ended up falling and pulling a tendon?"

"Excuse you, I wasn't tryna be a ballerina." Her hair was soft. Even though there were no more leaves to extricate, he kept stroking. She didn't complain, either. "I was tryna skate. Big difference."

"I'm sure." Smiling, she gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "You want to cannonball next?"

"Damn straight."

* * *

"Hey, Erza!"

"What is it, Gray?"

"Feel my sweater!"

"Hmm. Soft."

"Guess what it's made of?"

"What?"

"Boyfriend material!"

"Hopeless."

* * *

Spring and picnics usually went hand-in-hand. Especially where Erza was concerned, picnics were a must. Most of her life she'd spent fighting for something or the other, so the simpler things in life were really important to her.

Gray encouraged her as much as he could. Going for a hike, riding bicycles together, having picnics. It was all part of the spring routine.

He wanted her to be happy. She deserved it. if anyone ever did, she did. And he would do whatever it took to ensure that.

"What are you smiling about?" she asked him after putting down her book. He grinned up at her.

"I just think you're really beautiful."

She blushed. Gray's grin widened into a smirk. "The great Titania, conqueror of monsters and men, yet slain by a simple compliment! This is great! Ow! Hey, that was uncalled for!"

"You were being a dumbass," she tutted, bringing her book back up to her face after having clobbered his nose with its spine. Chuckling, Gray reached up and cupped her cheek.

"I love you."

Erza sighed and covered his hand with hers. "I love you too."

 _Oh screw this._

Gray lifted his head off her lap, sat up and kissed her. It didn't take long before she sighed against his mouth, put down her book and wrapped her arms around his neck. He rolled back onto the picnic blanket and she made sure to stay on top, her scarlet hair forming a curtain around them, shielding them from the world.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he smiled. "I think you're beautiful."

Her cheeks were already flushed, but she grinned nonetheless. "Shut up," she chastised lightly and lowered her mouth to his.

Spring symbolised new beginnings, or so they said. It was a time of change, when the slow melted and seeds finally sprouted. Hopefully, to grow and live long.

She brought the thaw. He brought the cold. Somehow, they found a way to complement each other. They always had. _Perhaps_ , thought Gray, as he closed his eyes, _this is a new beginning for us too_.

A cool spring breeze rustled the tree they lay under, showering them with cherry-blossoms.


	6. Chapter 6

**Moments**

The riverside had always been _their_ spot. It was a special place. Significant. He'd never mentioned it to anybody. He was sure she hadn't either.

Hands in his coat pockets, Gray closed his eyes. Felt the breeze against his face. He sighed.

Somehow, they'd managed to return Erza to the guild. He clenched his fists. Even thinking about that blue haired fucker made his blood boil. His only regret was not being able to punch a hole through the son of a bitch's face.

Gray took care to not speak or think ill of the dead, but rules stopped applying where Erza Scarlet was involved. _Nobody_ had the right to make _her_ cry. Much less sacrifice her to resurrect a dead dark wizard. He would've killed the fucker himself. He didn't care how strong Jellal was supposed to be, _nobody_ walked away from Iced Shell.

 _All because that fucking flame-brained asshole got eating by some motherfucking owl._ He clicked his tongue.

The guild was celebrating the return of their Titania, but he'd quietly excused himself. He didn't feel like celebrating. Celebrations were for people who actually deserved them. Not for people who blacked out before the main event. Natsu deserved it. Least he'd gotten the chance to sock Jellal on the kisser.

He took a deep breath. He let it go.

It was the closest he'd come to losing Erza. She'd always been this invulnerable... being of some kind to most. While he acknowledged her strength, Gray knew Erza like not many people did. He'd seen her for what she was right there by the riverside eight years ago: A girl who wore armour around her heart, too afraid to feel. Always alone. Always crying.

He liked to think that he'd been the one to get through to her, but that wasn't true. Erza had the entire guild at her back. Everyone loved and respected her. Feared her too. Now that her past had come to light, Gray hoped everyone would treat her like a person instead of a paragon. See her as Erza Scarlet and not Titania.

With that realisation also came the fact that Erza _was_ vulnerable. It wasn't something many people thought about. They would now. Just as he was. What would he have done if Erza had... died? Tried to prevent it, sure. Grind every bone in his body to dust if he had to, of course. But what if that wasn't enough? What if he _did_ lose her one day? What if he never got to tell her-

 _Tell her what?_ He chuckled bitterly and stepped towards the river. Looked down at his warped reflection in the moonlight.

Despite Jellal trying to kill her, Erza had tried to save him. It may have been out of a misplaced sense of self-righteousness, but he knew better. She had feelings for him. She'd had feelings for that bastard, and _he_ wasn't Jellal Fernandes. Or Siegrain. Or whatever that cunt fucking carrot top's name was. That was that.

Shoulders slumping, Gray sighed deeply and pinched his eyes. _I need sleep._

"Deep sighs, Gray. Who are you thinking of?"

And just like that, all trace of tiredness left his body in a flash. _Oh no_ , he thought as he half-turned. _Not now_.

But Lady Luck had never been his friend.

As if summoned by his thoughts, there stood Erza Scarlet. He hadn't heard her approach, thanks to his distracting thoughts. He frowned as she came up and stood beside him.

"What're you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question."

"I come here often. It's not unnatural."

"Same here."

"No, I mean, why aren't you celebrating?"

She shrugged. "What's there to celebrate?"

He looked away. Simon, her old friend, had died. Killed by Jellal, apparently. _He'd_ not lost anybody that day. It wasn't the same for her.

"Sorry," he offered quietly.

"Don't be," she replied just as gently. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

 _Is that right? I wish I could believe you_. He chose not to say anything.

"You never answered my question."

"Hmm?"

"What were you thinking about?"

He turned toward her then and found her staring up at him, a look of utter concentration on her face. He looked away.

"You. I was... thinking about you."

"Oh. What about me?"

Sighing, Gray ran a hand through his hair. "It's just that I... I mean we came _this_ close to losing you." He rubbed the back of his neck. "And I couldn't do anything-"

"You did enough."

"I could've done _more!_ I should've-"

He stopped when she placed a palm flat on his chest and stepped closer. It got very hard for him to think all of a sudden.

"You did enough," she said with a smile. "You did more than enough. Accept that."

He shook his head. "I really didn't do anything."

"That's not what Happy tells me."

 _Ah, crap._ "Is that right? And what _did_ Happy say?"

At that, Erza's smile widened and she stepped back, clearing her throat.

"I'm taking Erza back with me! Erza has to be with us... with Fairy Tail! So she doesn't have to cry anymore." She finished her impersonation of him and tilted her head, grinning now. "Yes?"

 _Goddamn_ _cat_. Gray crossed his arms over his chest and turned away. "I didn't say that."

"You didn't?"

"Nope."

"Are you quite sure?"

He groaned. "Did he tell anyone else?"

"Other than the whole guild? I don't think so, no."

"Great." Gray raked his fingers down his face. "Brilliant."

"Thank you."

His head snapped back towards her. "What for?"

"For saving me."

"Erza, I didn't save you. That was all Natsu."

She shook her head. "I'm not talking about the Tower, Gray."

"Then?"

"I'm talking about eight years ago. Right here." She spread her arms wide and then let them fall at her sides. "You saved me that day."

Gray just looked at her. "How do you mean?"

"You penetrated my armour, Gray. Relentlessly. You somehow managed to get here." She tapped her chest, smiling up at him. "You opened me up to all sorts of new and wonderful things. So you saved me. And I want to thank you. For being my... friend. Through everything."

He hoped the cover of darkness was enough to hide his blush. "You don't have to thank me for that."

"'Having to' has nothing to do with it."

Gray looked at her, lost for words. She looked absolutely, genuinely truthful. _She can't mean that._ Someone like _him_? _Save_ someone like _her_? Even the thought of it was ludicrous. He'd have done the same for anybody in the g-no. Erza was different. Erza was special.

Looking into her soft, brown eyes, Gray felt like somebody had reached into his chest and plucked at his heartstrings. It wasn't a pleasant feeling.

"Erza-"

"Gray?"

"I-"

"Yes?"

He laughed at her responses and gently placed his hand atop her head. She blinked in confusion, but didn't move away from his touch.

 _I'm in love with her_ , he told himself. _What do I do now?_

"I'm glad you're no longer clinging on to your armour for support." He smiled at her. "That's something you've achieved all on your own, and I'm proud of you, Erza. I really am." Despite himself, his hand lowered to her cheek. She didn't flinch away, though her eyes widened. He clenched his jaw. "You're really important to-" _me_ "-everyone at the guild. They-" _I_ "-love you, you know." He brushed his thumb along her cheekbone. "So live, Erza. Live gloriously. Have fun. Make great memories. Live for them. Live with them. Make every day count." His eyes started to burn and he retracted his hand to rub at them. _Great. Just my luck._ "That's all I hadta say."

Erza was quiet awhile before taking a tentative step closer. "Gray?"

He sniffed. Whatever it was that had been in his eyes was gone now. "Yeah?"

"Why were you here alone?"

"I wanted to be alone. I didn't feel like being rowdy."

"Then why are you crying?"

He swallowed. "I'm not crying. Just something in my eye."

She smiled at him. Didn't call him out on his lie. "I see."

 _Pull yourself together_ , he told himself, but it was easier said than done. He felt sick.

They stared at each other for some time, standing not even a foot apart, but Gray finally sighed and looked away towards the path he'd come from.

"It's getting late," he said.

"Mhmm. You need the rest."

"As do you."

"That I do."

"D'you want me to walk to Fairy Hills?" he offered as they started to walk up the slope to the road. She shook her head.

"You don't have to."

"'Having to' has nothing to do with it."

Erza chuckled quietly. "Then I would like that. Unless you're too tired."

"It's okay. It's on my way home anyways."

It wasn't, but she didn't have to know that. Gray just wanted to be selfish for once, spend a few more moments with Erza before going home and seeing about getting over her. He remembered he had some whisky in the cabinet. He'd need that.

"Thanks for walking me, Gray."

"Don't mention it."

He'd need a _lot_ of it.


	7. Chapter 7

**Epilogue**

"I'm thankful for the quiet," Erza said as Gray walked back to the bed, the door locked behind him. "I love them. I really do. But–"

"Trust me, I know what you mean," he said with a smile as he pulled a chair closer to the head of the bed and sat down. "Fairy Tail isn't known for being silent. Especially when the situation demands it."

Smiling, Erza looked down at the newborn now asleep in her arms, all wrapped up in towels.

"She's so small," she whispered. "How can something so small cry so loudly?"

He chuckled at that. The baby was pronounced healthy at birth, and screeched like a banshee. _Don't_ _think that way about your own daughter, dammit_. "Apparently, they do that when they're hungry."

"But she's so little! Where does she keep all those tears?"

"Dunno about that, but hey, she _is_ your daughter."

The infamous Scarlet Death Glare was levelled at him almost instantly. "Excuse me?"

Gray had to laugh. What had once been reserved for cake molesters was now also reserved for those who talked shit about her daughter. Titania as a mother would be someone who should _never_ be crossed.

"You cried a lot, she cries a lot," he shrugged good-naturedly. "Similarities, you know?"

"If this means my daughter will also take to stripping, I shall be very disappointed."

"That's an acquired skill, okay? It's not hereditary! Let it go, already!"

Erza chuckled quietly and shook her head. "Can't be too careful. She's your daughter, too. Which is slightly alarming."

 _You're gonna roast me in front of the kid? Really?_

He sighed. "To be fair, my role in the whole process lasted what, seven minutes? Eight? Whereas you carried her around for nine months. So if she takes after anyone, it'll be you."

Erza snorted. "Very sound logic. Though I don't want her to be like me. I want her to be better. You know?"

"Yeah," Gray said, looking up from the sleeping face of the child to her mother's. She looked exhausted. "I know. And I think you should rest."

"I _am_ resting."

"I meant sleep."

She shook her head. "Can't." Smiled at the baby. "Not right now."

There was a tenderness to her gaze and voice that he'd never heard before. _Everything's gonna be_ _different now, huh?_ Gray smiled to himself. "Okay."

"What about you? You look tired. Shouldn't you rest?"

"I will. Later." He rubbed his face. "It was just... stressful, I guess. All the screaming and the blood. Natsu fainted, you know?"

She grinned at that. "You were scared too, weren't you?"

"Scared? Pfft. Why–why would I be scared?"

"On a scale of one to ten, how scared were you that I was going to die?"

So Gray crossed his arms over his chest and leant back in his chair. He pushed back the chair with his feet until it stood on its rear legs, and brought it down on all fours again. It always helped him think. Didn't know why that was, though. _I am_ so _fucking weird_. He grimaced. _I just hope the kid's less of a weirdo_. After a while, he said, "Four."

Erza looked at him disbelievingly. "Four?"

"Yeah, why?"

"A four?"

"Yeah."

"You were at least an eight."

He snorted. " _Right_. Eight."

"You were a total eight!"

"Eight? Acnologia was an eight."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah, he was terrifying, okay?"

She shook her head. "What's a ten?"

"...Bob."

Erza's mouth hung open at that. " _Bob_ over my _death_?"

"I–I hate–"

" _Bob?!_ "

"I hate him, okay? He weirds me the fuck out, okay?"

"My word." She sighed and shook her head. "You _definitely_ thought I was dead."

" _Nah_."

"You thought I was going to die."

"No!"

"I saw you shed tears. You shed a lot of them."

He raised an eyebrow. "Tears? It was raining."

Erza laughed. "What?"

"You were all drugged up and were hallucinating and it was raining."

"It's totally sunny. You were bawling!"

"It wasn't sunny. You were hallucinating."

"Whatever." She smiled and whispered, "I've kept your tears in a jar. As proof."

Gray held up his hands. "Fine. I'll give you a five, how's that?"

"I'll take it."

"Erza, get some sleep."

"I will, I will." She smiled down at the baby again. "I just can't get over the fact that I'm a mother, you know? I was so afraid that I wouldn't be ready, but now I think I'll be able to do a better job that I thought."

He didn't say anything to that. Just watched mother and daughter. Felt a warm sort of feeling bubble up in his chest. An odd mix of love and pride and something else he couldn't quite recognise. Gray rose to his feet and walked over to stand right beside Erza.

"You'll be fine," he told her and bent to kiss the top of her head. "With time, I'll learn to be a good dad. But you're already there, Erza. You'll be a loving, caring and doting mom, and she's lucky to have you." He paused and looped his arm around her shoulders. "As am I."

She tilted her head to look up at him, smiling gently. There was that affectionate warmth in her eyes. She didn't need to say anything, and neither did he. Gray smiled back and tenderly pressed his lips to hers.

 _I love you and I'll always be there for you. Both of you._

Kissing him back, Erza pressed her forehead to his for a short moment. She didn't have to say it for him to know what she meant – _Thank you_.

Smiling, Gray looked down at the baby. _My daughter_. Still asleep. Peaceful. _For now_.

 _Everything's gonna change now_ , he thought to himself and pecked Erza on the cheek. _But everything's gonna be better now._

"Just admit that you were crying. It's okay to cry, Gray."

"Shut up."


	8. Chapter 8

**Fairy Tale**

"Daddy, will you tell me a story?"

"Sure. But you're gonna hafta try and sleep after this, okay?"

"Okay."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Good girl. Now then. There was once a tiger. One day, it grew wings and flew away. It lived happily ever after. The end. Go to sleep."

Pouting, the little girl kicked her feet up against the blanket. "That's not a story! You cheated!"

"Alright, alright, calm down. Sheesh. You have your mom's spirit, alright. So what kinda story d'you want?"

"A fairy tale."

"Huh. Well then. I can do that."

"You can?"

"Sure. Who d'you think I am?" He grinned proudly, watching the child's face light up in joy. It was worth it. Just for her. "Okay. So. Far away, in a distant land-"

"What's it called?"

"Hmm? Well. Let's call it Ente Isla."

"What's it like?"

A wistful smile graced his features. "It was... magical. See, it consisted of five islands. One in the centre with the other four to the north, south, east and west of this central island."

"Have you seen it?"

"D'you wanna hear the story, or d'you wanna ask questions?"

"Story, story!"

"Okay, then." He gathered his thoughts. "Now on the western island, on a farm, lived a girl. A little older than you, and a little younger than me. She lived there with her father. We'll call her Knightwalker. So-"

"Didn't she have a mommy?"

"Who, Knightwalker? Sure she did. But her mommy was an angel, you see. She fell in love with the farmer, but Heaven didn't allow this, so she couldn't stay."

"I don't like Heaven."

That made him laugh. "Good girl. Neither did I. Anyway, one day, some people from the Ente Islan Church arrived at their farm. They wanted to take Knightwalker away."

"Why?"

"To train her to be a hero. Since her mommy was an angel, she had some sorta weird angelic power. She was the only one of her kind that the Church knew of."

"Girls can be heroes?"

"Oftentimes the best heroes _are_ girls. You'll see one day." He grinned and ruffled her hair. The girl giggled.

"But why did they need to take her away?"

"You see, the King of the Demons had raised an army and wanted to take over Ente Isla. A few days after she left, her farm was attacked and her dad died." The girl's face crumpled. He gently took her hand in his. "So Knightwalker was the only one who could stop these demons. So she trained and trained and trained. She trained really hard and became a Hero. She freed the western island first, then north and east and south before marching on the middle island." He paused and lowered his voice. "To fight the Demon King himself."

Her eyes widened. "She fought the _Demon King_?"

"She did, she did!" He nodded for effect. "Kicked his butt too."

"She _beat_ the _Demon King_?"

"Not exactly." He smiled. "She would've. She cut off one of his horns. But before she could finish him off, he created a magical portal to another world and ran away. The Hero went after him, however."

"What happened next?"

"No idea. Nobody knows."

The girl pouted again, and he laughed and patted her forehead. "Now go to sleep."

"Okay, okay. I hope she kills him though."

"Hmm?"

"I hope Knightwalker kills the Demon King."

That gave him pause. He was quiet awhile as he stroked the girl's hair until she fell asleep. When she finally drifted off, he rose to his feet and clicked off the night lamp.

"Yeah," he said quietly in the darkness. "I hope so too."

He made his way out of the room and closed the door as silently as he could. It'd be a shame if the girl woke up after all his efforts to put her to sleep.

"I gather she's asleep?"

Despite himself, he jumped. The hallway was unlit, just like the kitchen cum dining room it led to. Hearing a sudden voice in the darkness would fuck with anybody.

"Gosh dang it, Erza!" he exclaimed in a whisper, hand over his chest in an effort to stop his heart from leaving his ribcage. "What in the frick frack snick snack are you doing sitting in the dark?"

"Firstly, hearing the Great Demon Overlord censor his language never gets old." He heard a chuckle and glared into the darkness.

"That's only because you told me to watch my 'barbaric, demon tongue' around our daughter!"

"And secondly, I'm having tea."

"In the dark?"

"Electricity is expensive in Tokyo."

That, he knew. Though he had a small fan in his own apartment, Lyon suggested they use hand-fans during the day and only turn on the fan to sleep at night. They wouldn't need it during winter, anyway.

Having pinpointed her location, he walked carefully to the table. Activating his demonic night vision would expend magical resources he couldn't really afford to waste. She sensed his approach and asked, "Is Violet asleep?"

"Yeap." He pulled out a chair and sat across from her. "I gotta say, I wasn't expecting to get a call from a frantic you, begging me to-"

"I did _not_ beg."

"Begging," he repeated and was rewarded when he heard her click her tongue. "Me to come over and put Violet to sleep. The Great Hero Erza Scarlet, Bane of the Demonic Army, conquered by a five-year-old! Ah, how the mighty have fallen!"

"Shut up," Erza snapped. He imagined her huffing and snickered. "You may be absolutely horrible and beyond all hope of redemption, but you _are_ good at some things."

"High praise. You goin' soft?"

A chuckle. "Hardly. I am simply being practical. Anyone could see that you are a great father." The disdain in her voice was palpable and he grinned. Then she softly said, "And Violet needs you. No matter what I think of the matter."

He said nothing for a while. The silence continued until he heard her slurp her tea.

"That may be true, but don't think for a second that she doesn't need you or you're a bad mom."

Judging from the sharp intake of breath across him in the darkness, he knew he'd hit the nail right on the head.

He continued, "Look, there are things only you can do. Okay? You are giving most of your time to her, and yet you're handling your job and social life well. I think that's awesome. _You're_ the one she sees when she wakes up and I can sleep well at night knowing you'll be the best influence on her." He shrugged. "Me, I just take her out to amusement parks and stuff. I can't do what you do. Maybe if you'd let me bring her over-"

"There is no way I am letting my daughter sleep in a one-room flat inhabited by three bums. You're lucky I even let you breathe the same air as her."

The snark was back in her voice. She'd be okay. He smirked.

"I'll have you know that Lyon's turned it into an _amazing_ bachelor pad. Be jealous."

"Yeah, right." There was a smile in the way she said it. He nodded to himself. "Say, Overl-"

"I. Have. A. Name."

"Just so you know, I'm rolling my eyes at you."

"I hope they fall right outta your face."

"Fine, fine. Gray, then." A pause. Then she hesitantly asked, "How _do_ you put her sleep?"

He wanted to turn on the lights just to smirk victoriously at her but thought better of it. It was best not to screw around with Erza when she was having a self-doubt episode.

"It depends. Tonight I just told her a story."

"A story, huh? What about?"

Humming, he said, "Oh, the conquering of Ente Isla by the Demonic Hordes."

A sharp clang rang out as the cup was placed on the saucer with much force. Fingers shot out of the darkness and curled into the collar of his shirt. Gray experienced being jerked around like he'd never been jerked around before. It made it harder to concentrate on Erza's hissed words.

"You did _what?!_ Are you trying to sell my daughter Demonic propaganda to win her over to your side?! Oh my God, you're trying to take her away."

"Dude, calm down," he forced out, grabbing her wrists and trying to free himself. "It's not like that!"

The jerking around stopped. "I shall give you half a minute to explain yourself."

So he did. "It was just a story, jeez. It was about a Hero defeating the Devil."

"You expect me to believe that?"

"Wake her up and ask her."

She let go of him. "I'll ask her in the morning. If I get any indication that you lied to me, I will summon my sword and skewer you right then and there. I don't even care if I can't get back afterwards."

"Yeah, but then you'd hafta clean up all the blood, which is mighty hard to do. You have no bleach, last I checked. Bloodstains really tank resale value too." He shrugged. "Besides, if I bleed, my personality will leak out."

She huffed. "What personality?"

"Excuse you." Gray leant back against the chair. "You really have a dim opinion of me, don't you?"

"I wonder whose fault that is."

"Touché." He closed his eyes and sighed, facing the ceiling. "I won't do anything of the sort to her. Of that, I give you my word."

"That means about as much to me as used sanitary napkin."

Gray barked out a laugh. "Nice one. But yeah, I wouldn't worry. D'you know what she told me when I told her that the Devil escaped to another world?"

"I do not. Unlike you, I don't make a habit of eavesdropping."

"Hey, man, that was just _one time_ , okay? I hadta know what that Sariel guy's sales pitch was!"

"I remain unimpressed. You were saying?"

"Oh right." He hummed. "She said that she wishes that the Hero kills the Devil one day."

Silence. Gray was interested to see how she would take that. When she responded, Erza didn't disappoint.

"I'm glad she knows her priorities," she said, sipping her tea.

Gray chuckled. _I'm glad she does, too_. He rose to his feet. "Well, I'm off."

"You're leaving?"

"Yeah. Lyon will start crying if I don't show up soon." He sighed as he went to the front door and slipped on his shoes. He knew her apartment well enough by now to navigate flawlessly in the dark.

Erza didn't get up from her chair. "Let the door hit you on your way out."

"G'night to you too," he replied as he stepped outside and closed the door behind him. Gray pocketed his hands and walked up to the edge of the balcony to look out at the city sprawled out before him. Erza's apartment was on the fifth floor of the complex, so it offered him a good view.

It reminded him of home, somehow, this weird place inhabited by humans. It was a different battle they faced, the people of Earth, but it was a battle nevertheless. He smiled to himself and headed for the stairs.

He was halfway down the first flight when he heard a door being thrown open. Moments later, he heard footsteps rushing towards the staircase. He stopped on the landing when he heard Erza's voice.

"Gray! You forgot your damn umbrella - kyaahhh!"

He saw her round the bend, umbrella in hand, and in typical Erza fashion, she slipped on the stairs on her way down.

Gray was already expecting this. She always fell down the damn stairs everywhere. He'd already made his way up to her by the time she slipped, so he had no problem in catching her. It was hard not to, for as soon as she'd seen him, Erza had aimed for him. Perhaps he was just used to catching her. Perhaps she was used to it, too. It was just something they did.

Except this time, she had her arms around his neck and her face burrowed in his throat while he had his arms around her waist.

"When will you learn to use the fuckin' stairs?" he breathed into her hair. Even her shampoo smelled of strawberries. _Thank goodness I didn't get slapped by her braid_.

"-again," she said in response.

"Don't just keep going like nothing happened!"

"Sh-shut up!" She looked up at him, a blush spreading across her face. "It's not like I _wanted_ to fall into your arms or something, you idiot!"

For the first time that evening, Gray had a good look at her. He'd rushed to rescue her from Violet and had spent most of his time with the girl. Then they'd talked in the darkness to save electricity, but now that wasn't the case.

She was beautiful, he couldn't deny that. Her flustered and embarrassed face just made her look adorable, all red like that. Her deep brown eyes were sharper than usual in contrast, filled with the intent to seriously maim, if not kill. He chuckled.

"No, I suppose you wouldn't."

"You're an ass."

"I'm an ass at the top of my class."

She started to wiggle out of their awkward embrace and he let go. Erza handed him the umbrella. "Here. Don't just leave it randomly somewhere."

"Don't worry. I'll look after your gift."

"It was not a _gift_! I was paying back a _debt_!"

He grinned and turned to leave. "Whatever you say."

"Gray?"

He stopped. "Hmm?"

"What did you say when Violet said... y'know."

 _Ah, yes_. "I said I hoped the Hero got the Devil, too."

" _Why?_ "

Looking over his shoulder at her, Gray was somewhat surprised to see her glaring at him. She appeared... displeased. He blinked. "I thought that was what you wanted?"

"Yes, but, it's not what _you_ want!"

"Shows what you know."

"You _want_ to die?"

Gray sighed and turned to face her. "Since when do you care about what I want?"

"Why are you answering a question with another question?"

"Well, why shouldn't I?"

"Ugh. I give up." Erza pinched her eyebrows in frustration. "I don't know why you're being so evasive, but it's suspicious."

"I'm the Devil. It's kinda my job to be suspicious."

"I hate you."

Gray chuckled as he turned to leave, twirling the umbrella in his hand. "Don't let the stairs get you on your way back."

"Shut up. It gets really tiring, being saved all the time by you."

He smiled to himself. "I'm the same way."


End file.
